Boom time for Bolivian alligator leather
27/07/2009
The Bolivian Institute of External Commerce (IBCE) has announced that the country’s leather sector exported $32 million worth of leather and leathergoods last year, to markets in Europe, Asia, and North and South America.
In terms of raw, semi-finished and finished hides, the volume of exports was just over 9 million kilos. The IBCE said these figures represented growth of 300% compared to 2004. It has said that leather and leathergoods are one of five “star sectors” that the government has earmarked to boost export growth.
The organisation said that Bolivia’s exotic leathers are in particular demand at the moment, particularly in Asia and Europe among leathergoods manufacturers. The country has schemes to raise what it calls “sustainable levels” of alligator populations, especially in the east of the country, with the indigenous population there benefiting from trade in the meat and skins from the reptiles.
The latest figures available for alligator skin exports are from 2007. They show that the biggest market for the material was Italy, which imported $1.4 million worth, an increase of 283% on 2003, but only about 10% of Italy’s entire alligator leather imports.
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